The Himalayan Club Annual Seminar 2014

The Himalayan Club will hold the Annual Seminar on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th February 2014. It is open to all members and their guests. Leading mountaineers, explorers and writers will be presenting audio-visuals and illustrated talks on various topics.

Marko from Slovenia is one of the world's most renowned alpinists, has climbed many serious routes in the Himalaya and around the world. He will narrate his experiences.

5:40 pm

Tea Break

6:00 pm - 6:30 pm

KEKOO NAOROJI BOOK AWARD

The 7th Kekoo Naoroji Book Award for Himalayan Literature will be presented to Jim Perrin (UK) for his book ‘Shipton and Tilman’.

The ’Jagdish Nanavati Award for Excellence in Mountaineering’and the ‘Garud Medal’ for the year 2013 will also be presented.

6:30 pm

JIM PERRIN: “Shipton and Tilman”

Jim will talk about his award winning book including the conceptualization, research and the process of understanding the unique position of Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman in history of exploration and mountaineering.

Annual Dinner: The contributory annual dinner will be at 8:00 pm for all members and guests. Please register at the Club office before 14th February by paying Rs. 1500/- per person.

Sunday, 16th February 2014

11:00 am

MARKO PREZELJ: “Do you need to ask why?”

Marko will talk about his mentorship program for young alpinists.

12 noon

Tea Break

12:30 pm

HARISH KAPADIA: “Go East, Young Trekkers!”

Harish will talk about exploring passes on the India- Burma Border in the Eastern Himalaya.

The Chaukan Pass on the Burma border is one of the most difficult and remote pass which was once an elephant trail. His was the first civil party to reach the pass in the Kumon range, crossing the river by constructing several bridges from Namdafa National Park. The team had also crossed the historic Pangsu Pass into Burma on the Stillwell Road from Ledo and looked at the Lake of No Return.

1:30 to 2:30 pm

Lunch Break

A contributory working lunch for participants will be organised at the venue. Please register at the Club office before 14th February 2014 by paying Rs. 250/- per person.

2:30 pm

DAVID BREASHEARS: “My Experiences in the Himalaya”

David, an American mountaineer and filmmaker, has climbed Everest five times and has made several award winning mountaineering documentaries. He is the founder of Glacierworks, a non-profit, devoted to saving the fragile ecology of the Himalaya. He will speak about his expeditions, his films and about his project.

3:30 pm

DIVYESH MUNI: “First Ascent of Chamshen (7017 m)”

The Himalayan Club sponsored an Indian-British Joint expedition to Chamshen peak in August 2013. This was the first ever expedition to this peak. They crossed a high col to the foot of their peak but. Not deterred by an accident causing serious injury to a British member, the team continued to make the first ascent of this high peak - a rare achievement in face of odds.

4:15 pm

Tea Break

4:30 pm

PRADEEP SAHOO: “First Ascent of the Plateau Peak”

The Himalayan Club sponsored expedition from Kolkata made the first ascent of this high peak, located near Saser Kangri. The peak had defeated several attempts in the past. Pioneering a new route the team reached the summit in daring attempt. Leader Pradeep Sahoo will talk about their ascent with pictures.

Nandini PurandareHon. Secretary,The Himalayan Club

18th January 2014

Brief Introduction of the Speakers

MARKO PREZELJ

(This is what he writes about himself.....)

(Born October 13, 1965, Ljubljana, Slovenia) Trained in University of Ljubljana as a chemical engineer (completed in 1994*) but at the moment work as a climbing instructor, mountain guide and photographer. Married (1994*) with Katja and have two sons - Tim (1994*) and Bor (2000).

*All this happened in one month!

I started in the “old school” of alpinism, made many mistakes and soon learned that the pursuit is both complex and immeasurable. Curiosity was the impulse that first brought me to alpinism, and it leads me still.

In climbing, style is my first concern. The decision-making process is the challenge. Doubt and uncertainty are the essence; trying to balance them with my choices is the passion. No regrets is the rule. When I know the outcome, the game is different and in the endless fun. The experience is different when I encounter humanity in any form, be it tracks, slings, or pitons.

Alpinism tests the limits of my strength, intuition, personality, character, emotion and creative spirit. Every “test” is different. How will I resolve the logistical puzzle of a particular climb? Will I be able to figure out the route, the moves? Will I be able to adapt to the conditions, the weather and above all to the friends with whom I share the experience? Which compromises will I accept, and at what cost?

It is considered normal to avoid the uncertain, the unexpected and the unknown, but these are the catalysts for human progress and they’re my catalysts as well. At the same time I’m aware of the constant influence of commercial interests. Money and publicity can destroy personal ethics in an instant, justifying the means with the end.

What is success? This is the ultimate question, the answer to which I’m still seeking.

Some of his well-known ascents are: 1988 New route on the north face of Cho Oyu, 1989 solo ascent of the Kang Ri (6240 m), 1991 Kangchenjunga (8476 m) south ridge new route, first ascent of Boktoh (6142 m), second ascent of Talung (7349 m), 1992 First ascent of Melungtse (7181 m), 1998 New route on Porong Ri East Summit (7284 m) and Yebokangal Ri (7332 m), 1999 First ascent of the north wall of the GyachungKang (7952m), 2000 Second ascent of the "Golden Pillar"of Spantik, 2001 Begguya and Denali (6193 m) in Alaska - "Light Traveller" on the south face, new route, free climbed in a single push style, and Nilkanth west ridge (6596 m), 2004 First ascent of Kapura Peak (6544 m), 2006 Chomolhari (7326 m) northwest pillar, 2007 First ascent of K7 in Karakoram, 2008 New route on West face of Kangchungtse (7678 m), 2009 Baghirathi IV, III and II new route.

He continues to climb at the highest standard and lecturing about his ascents around the world reaching new summits and gathering new friends.

JIM PERRIN

An English mountaineer, travel and outdoor writer, and in his youth was an accomplished rock-climber. He made many new routes, significant solo ascents and free ascents at high standards.

As a writer, he has made regular contributions to a number of newspapers and climbing magazines. He has won the Boardman-Tasker prize twice, first for Menlove (1985), his biography of John Menlove Edwards, and again as a joint winner (alongside Andy Cave's Learning to Breathe) for The Villain (2005), a biography of Don Whillans. For many years he has contributed mountaineering obituaries for The Guardian. His other books include Mirrors in the Cliffs (ed.) (1999) and The Climbing Essays (2006).

HARISH KAPADIA

A distinguished Himalayan mountaineer/ explorer from India. He has been awarded the Patron's (Royal) Medal of the Royal Geographic Society, UK and the Life Time Achievement Award for Adventure by the President of India and the King Albert Mountain Award presented by The King Albert I Memorial Foundation. He has written numerous books and articles on the Indian Himalaya.

His first visit to the Himalaya was almost 40 years ago. His main contribution to Himalayan climbing has been to explore unknown areas and, in number of cases, to open up climbing possibilities. Some of his major ascents have been of Devtoli (6788 m), Bandarpunch West (6102 m), Parilungbi (6166 m), in 1995, Lungser Kangri (6666 m) the highest peak of Rupshu in Ladakh. He led five international joint expeditions, four with the British and two with the French, to high peaks, such as Rimo I (7385 m), Chong Kumdan I (7071 m), Sudarshan Parbat, and the Panch Chuli and Rangrik Rang groups. Currently he is engaged in the explorations in the remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

DAVID BREASHEARS

An American mountaineer and filmmaker. In 1985, he became the first American to reach the summit of Everest twice. He has worked on feature films including Seven Years in Tibet and Cliffhanger, as well as on the award-winning documentary Red Flag over Tibet. In 1983 he transmitted the first live pictures from the summit of Mount Everest. He is the recipient of four Emmy awards for achievement in cinematography. Breashears has made eight expeditions to Everest, reaching the summit five times. He is also known in climbing circles for free climbing some of the most technically challenging rock walls in Colorado as a young man.

In 1996 he co-directed, photographed, and co-produced the acclaimed IMAX film Everest and contributed still photos to the bestselling book Everest: Mountain Without Mercy. In 1998 he was a director and producer for a Nova television program, Everest: The Death Zone, in which he and fellow mountaineer Ed Viesturs climbed Everest while undergoing physical and mental tests to record the effects of altitude on humans. In 2000 he directed the IMAX film Kilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa for the National Geographic Society. He is the author of several books, including an autobiography, High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places. In 2007, Breashears founded GlacierWorks, a non-profit company that uses science, art, and adventure to raise awareness about climate change in the Greater Himalaya.

DIVYESH MUNI

He is a Chartered Accountant by profession, and has climbed more than 20 Himalayan peaks making several first ascents of difficult peaks. His climbs include a new route on Chong Kumdan I (7071 m), first ascents of Chamshen (7017 m), Rangrik Rang (6656 m), Bhujang (6560 m), Abale (6560 m), Khhang Shiling (6360 m), ascents of Kagbhusand (5830 m), Kamet (7756 m), Manirang (6696 m), Sujtilla West ( 6273 m), etc. He has been the Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Secretary of the Club and is currently a member of the Managing Committee of the Club.

PRADEEP CHANDRA SAHOO

An engineer presently stationed in Harare, Zimbabwe overseeing the business interest of his company in Southern Africa. After an initial introduction to the Himalaya as a student at University of Roorkee, he completed his Basic and Advanced Mountaineering Courses (1992) and Alpine Style Climbing Course (1993) from HMI, Darjeeling. Over last two decades, he organised and participated in over 10 Himalayan expeditions including Sri Kailash, Shivling, Kamet, Panch Chuli, Mamostong Kangri, Saser Kangri and Plateau Peak.